Physical Therapist Assistant Student Success in Traditional 15- versus Seven-Week Courses at a Community College: A Single Institution Case Study

Marcin, Tammy R

doi:10.46409/sr.serb2840

Cited by 1 publication

(4 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…ese findings agree with many of the short-term findings around blocked versus full-length semesters. 5,[7][8][9] One author found no significant long-term differences in learning based on semester design, which also agrees with the findings of this study. 3 Previous studies only assessed cognitive knowledge, so additional research could be performed to confirm the study findings regarding psychomotor skill.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

“…Improved performance in the blocked semester agrees with literature surrounding the course design. 5,[7][8][9] Taking fewer classes might offset the demands imposed by the fast pace. 16 One explanation for the improved performance could be the decrease in cognitive load required to concentrate on only 2 or 3 courses at one time; however, other studies on this topic show no difference between blocked and full-length semester designs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…3,4,7,8 e psychomotor examination scores did not differ between semester designs, agreeing with the studies that examined skill performance and found no difference in outcomes between blocked and full-length semesters. 5,10 Other authors found benefit from both blocked 11 and fulllength skills training. 12 Further research specific to psychomotor skill performance would be beneficial in clarifying these results.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A Doctor of Education dissertation was published that examined the outcomes of an accelerated PTA program that used some components of a blocked semester design throughout the PTA program. 5 is dissertation found no difference in learning as measured by GPA for students in the accelerated versus traditional PTA program.…”

Section: Review Of Literaturementioning

confidence: 93%

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Effects of a Blocked Versus Full-Length Semester Design on Doctor of Physical Therapy Student Performance and Retention

McCallister

Bernard

Flowers

et al. 2023

JOPTE

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Introduction. Restrictions on in-person gatherings during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic required educational programs to explore alternative educational formats. The nature of physical therapy education as a blend of cognitive and psychomotor skill presents additional challenges. During a gradual return to in-person learning, the authors' institution chose to break a full-length 15-week semester into 3, 5-week blocks. The first aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of semester design on course performance. The second aim was to assess the effects of semester design on knowledge and skill retention. Review of Literature. In undergraduate studies, blocked courses or semesters held over a short period of time may result in equal or better performance compared with courses performed over a longer time. Few studies have been performed on the graduate student population. Most studies have focused on short-term cognitive knowledge acquisition. Subjects. Three cohorts of Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students were eligible to participate. Methods. Two DPT courses (1 first year and 1 second year) were selected to assess cognitive and psychomotor performance. Examination results were compared at the end of a full-length semester and blocked semester. A third course was selected to assess retention at 4 time points. Students were assessed on their cognitive retention using computer-based quizzes and psychomotor retention using in-person skills quizzes. Results. Median cognitive performance scores for both courses were slightly better during the blocked semester. There were no significant differences in median psychomotor scores. There was no significant interaction effect between semester structure and retention of cognitive knowledge or psychomotor skills, although there were significant changes in scores over time. Discussion and Conclusion. A blocked semester design may favor immediate cognitive performance. However, there is no significant effect on knowledge or skill retention over a 6-month period. Programs faced with the potential for in-person closures can select either semester structure based on their needs without compromising knowledge or skill retention.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%